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Tuesday, December 4, 2012

If you are one of the folks waiting to get a copy of Sudden Death: The Incredible Saga of the 1986 Swift Current Broncos, I am told that the second printing arrived in the Toronto warehouse late last week and books are on the way into stores.
So please keep checking with your favourite bookstore.
I also was told that Costco placed an order.
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Headline in the Vancouver Sun: ’Hawks flogged for bending it like Beckham
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D Seth Jones of the Portland Winterhawks has told Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald that he was “devastated” when the Everett Silvertips fired general manager Doug Soetaert in February.
Jones, who is likely to be the first or second selection in the NHL’s 2013 draft (if there is one), was selected by Everett with the 11th overall pick in the 2009 bantam draft. However, he chose not to report and was traded to Portland.
"I had a really good connection with Doug Soetaert and the head coach that was here (Craig Hartsburg)," Jones, 18, told Patterson. "They both are gone, so I didn't feel like I had a connection with the new guys here."Jones also told Patterson: "I have nothing against Everett. Doug was a great guy. He came down to Dallas to visit me a couple times the past couple years. When he got fired I was devastated, to be honest with you. He was a really nice guy and a great influence for me to come here. He left and things kind of changed.”
Patterson’s complete story is right here.
———If you haven’t seen the Merry Christmas video put together by the Calgary Hitmen, it’s right here.
And, yes, that is general manager Kelly (Boots Randolph) Kisio on the sax.
My good wife says it's “awesome.” But I’m thinking she may have been referring to the shower scene.
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The Czech Republic national junior team has released the roster for a selection camp that begins Dec. 15 in Rokycany. That roster includes three WHLers — G Patrik Bartosak of Red Deer, D Marek Hrbas of Kamloops and D David Musil of Edmonton. . . . Not on that roster are F Matej Stransky of Saskatoon and D Richard Nedomlel of Swift Current.
Swift Current G Eetu Laurikainen is on Finland’s roster, while Calgary F Victor Rask is on Sweden’s roster.
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The OHL’s Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds fired head coach Mike Stapleton on Monday. They replaced him with Sheldon Keefe, who won five straight CCHL championships (2007-11) with the Pembroke Lumber Kings.
The Greyhounds are 13-14-2 and in third place in the West Division.
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In the QMJHL, the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles have fired Ron Choules, their general manager and head coach. He ran the team’s Monday afternoon practice and then was relieved of his duties. . . . Choules was in his second season as head coach; he had been GM since October when Pierre Roux was fired. . . . Marc-André Dumont is the Screaming Eagles’ new GM/head coach. He spent three seasons as head coach of the Val-d’Or Foreurs before being fired in October with the team at 4-6-0. . . . Cape Breton is 7-17-6 and is 16th in the 18-team league’s overall standings. It has lost its last seven games.
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The Seattle Thunderbirds announced Monday that F Tyler Alos, 19, has retired from hockey. For some reason, the Thunderbirds news release make no mention of why Also retired, but it’s due to post-concussion syndrome. “He has been advised by doctors against returning to the ice this season,” Seattle GM Russ Farwell said in a news release. . . . According to the news release, Alos will stay with the club and assist the Thunderbirds. . . . A native of Spokane, he had 56 points, including 19 goals, in 201 games over four seasons.
This would be a good time to provide a link to a story from Monday’s edition of The New York Times.
“The growing evidence of a link between head trauma and long-term, degenerative brain disease was amplified in an extensive study of athletes, military veterans and others who absorbed repeated hits to the head, according to new findings published in the scientific journal Brain,” writes Ken Belson.
“The study, which included brain samples taken posthumously from 85 people who had histories of repeated mild traumatic brain injury, added to the mounting body of research revealing the possible consequences of routine hits to the head in sports like football and hockey. The possibility that such mild head trauma could result in long-term cognitive impairment has come to vex sports officials, team doctors, athletes and parents in recent years.”
The complete story is right here and it’s a must read.
And while you’re there click on the interactive link and check out the slides of various brains.
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The Saskatoon Blades made a couple of trades on Monday. . . . The dealt D Brett Lernout, a 17-year-old from Winnipeg, to the Swift Current Broncos for a fourth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft. . . . Then they dealt a fifth-round pick in the 2015 draft to the Prince Albert Raiders for D Shayne Gwinner, 18. Gwinner had one goal in nine games with the Raiders but left the team last month. Last season, Gwinner had 11 points in 51 games with the Moose Jaw Warriors. . . . Gwinner, from Drumheller, was acquired by the Raiders from the Warriors on July 6 for a fourth-round pick in the 2013 bantam draft and a sixth-rounder in 2014. . . . Lernout was pointless in 18 games with the Blades.
——— The Saskatoon Blades were hit with a $750 fine after being involved in their second line brawl of the season on Saturday in a 3-0 loss to the Rebels in Red Deer. . . . Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports that F Brett Stovin (shoulder) was involved in a full practice Monday, the first time that has happened since he was injured on Nov. 10. . . . However, Saskatoon D Dalton Thrower (concussion) skated prior to practice and left the ice after about 15 minutes. . . . Brandon D Ryan Pulock, who has missed six games since take a puck in the fce on Nov. 16 in Cranbrook, hopes to return Friday. He’ll wear a full shield. The Wheat Kings are 0-5-1 without him in the lineup. . . .
Cougars F Colin Jacobs has been suspended for six games after being penalized for a headshot on Victoria Royals F Luke Harrison on Friday in Prince George. Harrison is out with a concussion. . . . The Prince Albert Raiders are at home tonight to the Spokane Chiefs. Prince Albert F Jonas Knutsen (Norway) and F Leon Draisaitl (Germany) leave after tonight’s game to join their national junior teams. . . .
The Everett Silvertips have brought in D Micheal Zipp, 16, for the remainder of this season. He was pointless in nine games with the AJHL’s Drumheller Dragons. Zipp, from Edmonton, was a fourth-round pick in the 2011 bantam draft. . . . The Silvertips lost D Ryan Murray (shoulder), traded D Griffin Foulk to the Seattle Thunderbirds, and are about to lose D Mirco Mueller to the Swiss junior team. So there was room on the roster for a defenceman.
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From former WHLer Spencer Asuchak (@Asuchak16): “Would love to hear someone explain how the best player in the @thewhl didn't get invited to world jr camp. @blazerhockey #smith”
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From former WHL scoring champ Tyler Redenbach (@tredenbach18): “@Asuchak16 maybe his parents got a free flight from the team and Ron Robison wouldn't let him go #dubproblems also you notice 0 NCAA players”
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From D Shayne Gwinner (@gwins32), who was dealt by Prince Albert to Saskatoon yesterday: “Well that was unexpected #Blades”
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From Seattle Thunderbirds F Justin Hickman (@jhick9): “Tough to see @tyler_alos13 have to hang em up but we know the kid will be red hot behind the bench #heartandsoul #loveyou #too early”

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